Type-printing telegraph apparatus



1 J. HANDLEY 2,955,694

TYPE-PR INTING TELEGRAPH APPARATU$ 1 venlor J. HAN DLEY I Attorney FiledFeb. 29, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenwr J. HA N D L. E Y

A tf'arney- Oct. 11, 1960 5 Shets-Sheei 3 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 InventorJ. H A N D l. EY

By I

A ltorn ey Oct. 11, 1960 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 J. HANDLEY TYPE-PRINTINGTELEGRAPH APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' I n uentor J. HANDLEY Atorney Oct.11, 1960 J. HANDLEY TYPE-PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Feb. 29,v1956 Inventor J. HANDLEY Attorney United States PatentOTYPE-PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS John .Handley, Little Marland, BriarHill, Purley, Surrey, England The present invention relates to printingtelegraph .appara'tus, and more particularly, to such apparatus forprinting on paper in sheet form. v

A limitation .on the speed of known printing telegraph apparatus whichprints on paper in sheet form is provided bylhe fact that the platen hasto be returned at the end of each line before the next line can beprinted. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provideprint ng telegraph apparatus in which the speed of printing is increasedby elimination of the carriage return feature. I

According to the present invention there is provided printing telegraphapparatus comprisingya tubular support about which a sheet of paper maybe positioned, printing means for printing characters in a line along acircumference .of said tubular support, automatic means for effectingcharacter spacing along said circumference, and means for effecting aline feed operation along the axis of the tubular support.

'In the embodiment of the invention which will be described, the tubularsupport is a hollow cylinder of, for

2 single revolution camshaft releases a clutch to startth -feed rollershaft. As the feed rollers grip the paper, 'a valve is opened to breakthe air suction which is holding 'the1pa'per to the feed member. Thepaper feed member returns to its normal position and the paper is fedround to v the starting position.

When the single revolution cam-shaft has completed its cycle, a contacton the cam-shaft opens a holding circuit to enable the printing tocommence. 7

"To eject or unload the sheet, the space relay is operated until thepaper is rotated to the eject position, andis then ejected by operationof a reverse relay which rotates it in the reverse direction and so offthe carriage. The paper is thus unloaded printed side down on to anupper tray, so that a number of sheets, when taken off, will be incorrect order.

The invention will be better understood from the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a printer according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a part of the printer of Fig. 1,

, Fig. 3 'is a front view of the printer of Fig. 1,

Fig. '4 is a section of the printer of Fig. 1, taken along 7 the line 1vrv, and

example, plastic material and is surroundedby another plastic cylinderhaving suitable slots through which the sheet of paper isinserted. Thepaper is fed sideways into the printer and gripped at its top and bottomedges by cork "rollers and guided between the two cylinders.The-cylinders, and rollers are mountedbetween two end plates which areheld together by two tie rods and a toothed rack to form a carriage. Thecarriage runs on two tubes, a roller for each tube being attached toeach of the end plates. Because the paper is fed sideways into theprinter, the type is turned at 90 degrees to normal and the paper isrotated on the inner cylinder letter by letter, the carriage beingtraversed sideways for line feed. Both the rotatteed and lateral feedare reversableand are effected by slipping clutches, escapementsanddifferential gears. 1 The type unit is of the kind described incopending application Serial No. 554,009; filed December 19, 1955, andpositioned underneath the carriage. The type hamis carried inside thecarriage and is operated by a ti-ibular push rod from a magnetic clutchdriven by the motor, in a similar way to thatdescribed in the said co-'pending application.- The construction of the clutch has been modified,however. a V

The paper is loaded into the printer by a camshaft, which, whenreleased, makes one complete revolution and then comes to rest. Durinthe first part of this revolution, a piston in a cylinder is released tocause a decrease in the air pressure in a paper feed member, while atthe same time a ratchet feed actuated by a second lifts the stack ofpaper into contact with the paper feed member, unlessit is high enoughalready. The top sheet on the stack of paper is therefore gripped bysuetion to the paper feed member. V A third cam permits the paper feedmember to be traversed forwards carrying the paper to the first feedrollers. As the paper approaches these rollers a contact on the Fig. 5is a sectional elevation of the carriage unit, showing also a part ofthe letter feed mechanism. I Referring to the drawings and firstly toFigs. 1, 2 and 3, the power for the printer is supplied by a motor 1,which drives a shaft 2. Mounted on shaft 2 are a worm 3 and the drivingpart of a magnetic cluthch 132. Clutch 132' operates the printing hammerto cause printing to take place, and its mechanism will be described indetail later. Worm 3 drives shaft 4 (see also Fig. 4), which in turndrives shafts 5 and 133' through further v'vo 'n'ns.

'F'rorn Figs. 3 and 4 it can be seen that shaft 5 drives the drivingmember 134 of a clutch 8 through worm 135. Shafts 2, 4, 5, 133' anddriving member 134 are all continuously running. The clutch 8 is aratchet and pawl clutch which is controlled by relay 7. Momentaryoperation of relay 7 will allow clutch 8 to engage and perform onerevolution. i

The paper to be fed into the printer is stacked on plate 9 which, in itslowest position, rests on blocks 20. Plate 9 may be lifted by racks 10and 11 which areoperated frorn shaft 13 by gears 14 and 15. A paper feedmember 36, which is supported by rollers 17 arid 18 running in slots 19,is provided above the stack of paper. By manual-1y turning handle 12 theshaft 13 may be rotated, thereby causing gears 14 and 15 and racks 10and 11 to raise the plate 9' and the stack of paper thereon. The stackof paper is thus manually raisedfuntil the top of it has lifted thepaper feed member36, androllers 17 and 18 are lifted in their respectiveslots 19. :Detent pawl 21 is spring-urged into engagement with ratchetwheel 16, which is also mounted on vsha fit 13, and retains shaft 13 inthe position to which ithas' been turned when the paper feed member 36is lifted by the stack of paper. This is the desired position for thepaper for loading the printer.

The-top of the stack of paper is maintained in the desired position,even though paper is taken from it and used in the printer, by feed pawl22.. Feed pawl 2 2 is operated by rocker 23 which is pivotable aboutshaft 13 but is not in driving contact with that shaft. Rocker 23 is inspring-urged contact with a cam 24 on shaft @thecam 24 being so shapedas to cause feed pawl zz to feed the ratchet wheel 16 round one toothand lift the stack of paper on plate 9. Thus pawl 22 attempts toiaisethe stack of paper every time cani its unoperated position.

feed pawl 22 engages ratchet wheel 16, paper feed member 36 will belifted, rollers 17 and 18 will be raised in their slots 19, and guidemember 25 is lifted about pin 136. As guide member 25 is raised, so itraises rocker 27 which, through link 137, causes rocker 28 to throw thefeed pawl 22 out of engagement withratchet wheel 16 before ratchet wheel16 has been fed one tooth. The top of the stack is therefore alwaysraised when necessary, but not unless it is necessary.

When the stack of paper has been used and has to be replenished, theplate 9 is allowed to fall to its lowest position, that in which itrests on blocks 20, by manually pressing down trigger 29. This causesboth pawl 21 and feed pawl 22 to be released and the plate 9 and racksand 11 are free to fall.

When the machine is started, a loading signal is sent to relay 7 (Fig.3) which operates momentarily allowing clutch 8 to engage and shaft 6 torotate. The shaft 6 makes one complete revolution, during which theloading of a sheet of paper takes place, and then stops as clutch 8 isdisengaged by relay 7 which has resumed As shaft 6 commences itsrevolution, roller 30 which in the rest position of shaft 6, lies in adepression in a cam on shaft 6, is forced out of this depression againstthe action of spring 31 causing contacts 32 to close. Contacts 32 arearranged to prevent the computer or tape-reading device, from whichinformation is to be delivered for printing, from starting until theloading is completed.

At the same time, as the shaft 6 begins its revolution, cam 140 (Fig. 4)allows plunger 33 (Figs. 3 and 4), which is spring-urged upwards by aspring inside cylinder 138 to rise. As plunger 33 rises, it causes adrop in the pressure of the air in the cylinder 138 to occur, with theresult that air is sucked into the cylinder 138 from the paper feedmember 36 through pipes 34 and 35 (Fig. 3). Paper feed member 36 haslongitudinal slots in its under-side which is in contact with the topsheet 'on the stack of paper, but is otherwise air-tight. This top sheetis therefore gripped by the paper feed member 36 by suction.

When the top sheet of paper is gripped by the paper feed member 36, cam37 (Figs. 3 and 4) on shaft 6 allows cam follower 26 to be moveddownwards by spring 139 through arm 38, to which cam follower 26 isattached. Arm 38 is fixed to shaft 39 which carries arms 40 and 41. Ascam follower 26 follows the contour of cam 37, so shaft 39 is caused toturn, first in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 4. Arms 40 and 41,in the forks of which rollers 17 and 18 are located respectively,therefore pivot about shaft 39 and move the rollers 17 and 18 in theslots 19 to the right as seen in Fig. 4. Paper feed member 36, which isgripping the top sheet of paper on the stack is therefore moved to theright and inserts the edge of the sheet between the cylinders 42 and 43until the edge is in contact with rollers 44 and 45. Rollers 44 and 45are mounted on shaft 49 and positioned in cut-out portions in cylinder42 so that they bear directly on cylinder 43. Rollers 69, 70, and 71, 72are similarly positioned at different pointson the circumference ofcylinder 43.

At the same time as the paper is fed into contact with rollers 44 and45, roller 30 (Fig. 3) is urged further outwards by its cam so thatcontacts 66 are closed as well as contacts 32. Contacts 66 operate relay46 and hold it operated for the remainder of the revolution of shaft 6.Operation of relay 46 (Fig. 2) causes the magnetic circuit of this relayto be closed by movement 4 of the armature and this movement of thearmature raises pawl 61 out of engagement with escapement wheel 62 (Fig.1). Escapement wheel 62 is mounted rigidly on the shaft of adifferential 50 which is arranged to drive shaft 49 which is a splineshaft. Mounted loosely on the shaft of differential 50 is a gear wheel48 which is constantly driven from shaft 4 through gear wheel 47. Gearwheel 48 is continually trying to drive escapement wheel 62 through afriction clutch but this clutch slips until such time as pawl 61 israised by operation of relay 46. Shaft 49 is then driven and rollers 44and 45 start to rotate.

Springs 73 and 74 (Figs. 3 and 4) are arranged to urge bracket 141constantly to the right, as seen in Fig. 4. Rollers 71 and 72 thusthrust cylinder 43 against the other rollers 44, 45, 69, 70 so that thepaper is gripped and as rollers 44 and 45 are rotated by shaft 49 thepaper is fed onto the cylinder 43.

Gears such as 63 (Fig. 1) are mounted on shaft 49 beside rollers 44 and45 and engage with geared rings 67 and 68 (Figs. 1 and 3). Geared rings67 and 68 engage further gears on the shafts of rollers 69, 70, 71 and72. Thus, as shaft 49 turns, all six rollers 44, 45, 69, 70, 71, 72 turnto move the paper over the surface of cylinder 43.

As rollers 44 and 45 grip the paper, the grip on it exerted until now bypaper feed member 36 is broken. This is done by operation of lever 55(Figs. 1 and 4) which engages with screw 57 to open valve 56 and breakdown the low pressure suction which had enabled paper feed member 36 tohold the paper.

While the paper is being fed into the cylinder 43, earn 37 causes arms40 and 41 to return the paper feed member 36 to its rest position (i.e.that shown in Fig. 4). At the same time cam 140 returns plunger 33against the action of its spring, and then, at the end of the revolutionof shaft 6 when the paper has been fed round cylinder 43 so that thereis a slight overlap, clutch 8 releases shaft 6 and roller 30 drops backinto the depression on its cam thus allowing contacts 66 and 32 to opensimultaneously and retaining the shaft 6 in the correct rest positionuntil another loading signal operates relay 7 again.

The opening of contacts 32 allows the delivery of information forprinting to start. The printing mechanism may be of any suitable, knownkind, but the outline of the printing mechanism shown in Fig. 4 is thatof the kind described and claimed in co-pending application Serial No.554,009, filed December 19, 1955. The type representing the character tobe printed is selected by a selecting relay such as 58, and is set up at59. The sheet of paper is then struck against the type by printinghammer 60 under the control of clutch 132 to print the character.

Clutch 132 (Figs. 1 and 2) is a modified form of that described inco-pending application Serial No. 554,009, filed December 19, 1955.Clutch 132' consists of two plates 108 and 109 both of which arecontinuously driven by shaft 2 from motor 1. Between these two platesthere is a friction plate 107 which is supported on boss 118 by a spider106. Friction plate 107 is normally stationary. Plates 108 and 109contain respective magnetisable laminations 111 and 112 which may beenergised by coils connected to slip rings 116 and 117, ring 117 beinggrounded to frame. The laminations 112 in plate 109 are shaped with lugs114 and are clamped by plate 115 to plate 109 in which they are locatedin four rectangular slots. Plate 108 has four spigots 110 and can bemoved backwards or forwards to adjust the air gap between laminations111 and laminations 112 by adjustment of clamping screws 113. As thetype representing the character to be printed is selected, the coils areenergised and the laminations 111 and 112 in plates 108 and 109 aredrawn together and engage friction plate 107 to turn it for the durationof the energising pulse.

As plate 107 is rotated through a fraction of a revolution, so also isthe boss 118 on which it is mounted. As

s e in s- :S'b s ,118 i tu ned s i ht y n an e ckwise d e iqni s ins i eac ion o spr n 1- IJ- e restposition of friction plate .107 when it isnot engaged b p 1 an 109 Pr 51 .1 ho d arm 11. 0 o 118 in contact :withstop 120.

Boss 118 also carries arms '1-22 and 126. Arm 122 a i pi 23 31 4 3 thebasi 1 8 tu this operates the tubular push rod-124 which ,in turn causesrocker 125 to moyeganticlockwiseabout its pivot and printing hammer 16.0.to strike the "paper against the type. Arm 126 m me t r y i ts pawl v i2 d out of engagement with escapement wheel 62 and the paper is fedround .one .positionready for the printing of the next character.

Rocker 125 (Fig. 5 is carried; on the bracket 127 which supports ,thetwotubes 128=and 1 29 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5). Thecarriage runs on tubes 128and 129 on rollers such as 131, 1 32 133, .(Figs. 4-and 5) which aresupported from the end plates of ;the carriage.

A tabulating distributor wiper 51, which is driven by gears 52 and 53from differential '50, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 The wiper 51 istraversed over distributor 54 as the paper .is moued .over the surfaceof the cylinder 43. h method by which the distributor may be operatedwhen'tabulating is required, which will be obvious to one skilled intheua inwill not .be described here.

Whenprinting has'continued until the end of the line,

the line feed rang/19s (Fig. 1') is operated. If the printer is m d t apm u e the camp may be arranged to. give a line feed signal as the endof a .line is approached. a t r at el f t m ste swprim s n at o mperforated tape, a contact on the distributor may be arranged to give asignal to operate the line feed relay 98 when the paper has been rotatedto a given position on cylinder 43.

When line feed relay 98 is operated, its armature 102, which is pivotedon pin 103, moves against the action of leaf spring 105 to close themagnetic circuit of the relay. This movement of the armature releasesthe escapement wheel 84 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is fixedly mounted on theshaft of differential 85. Shaft 133' (Fig. 4), which is continuouslyrotated by shaft 4 through worms 90 and 91, carries on it gears 88 and89. Gear 89 drives gear 92 which is loosely mounted about the shaft ofdifferential 85, and gear 92 attempts to drive escapement wheel 84through a friction clutch. It is only when escapement wheel 84 isreleased by operation of the line feed relay 98 that the clutch engagesand gear 92 drives the differential 85, and the gear wheel 86 mounted onits shaft. Gear wheel 86, which engages the carriage feed rack 87 (Fig.1), is thus driven in a clockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 1), totraverse the carriage to the left to the next line position.

When the carriage is moved fully to the left and the last line of thepage is printed, a relay (not shown) similar to relay 98 but situateddirectly beneath it and controlling escapement wheel 95 (Fig. 4) isoperated. Again, if the printer is used with a computer, the computermay be arranged to give carriage return, unloading and loading signalswhen the last line of the page has been printed, or, alternatively, thesignals may be given by operation of a number of contacts when thecarriage reaches the end of its traverse and when it is fully returned.

The continuously-rotating gear wheel 88 on shaft 133 drives gear 94which is loosely mounted about the shaft of differential 85 throughidler 93, so that gear 94 is continuously driven in the oppositedirection to gear 92. Gear 94 attempts to drive escapement wheel 95,which is fixedly mounted to the shaft of differential 85, through afriction clutch. The friction clutch only engages when escapement wheel95 is released on the appearance of a carriage return signal. Escapementwheel 95 is then driven anticlockwise (as seen in Fig. 1), as is alsogear wheel 86 through differential 85. The carriage is thus returnedfully to the right.

- T enn oading signal thencaus'es "thesheet of fp'aper to be ejectedfrom the carriage. The, unloading signal consists of two Signalsfone to.operatefirelay 46 :for ;the period jnecessary gtp rotate :the paper (asalready .described) ,until-thegreariedge of the sheet is opposite :theaperture-96 ;(;Fig. ,4). "Then-a signal is sent which o erates relay :80(Fig. 71'). (The armaturelof :relay180 controis the .pawLSZ ofrescapementwheel 81 which is fixedly mounted :to :the .shaft ofdifferential .50. ,Gear 77 which is loosely ;mounted:about the shaft ofdifferential '50 com tinuously attempts -to .dri ve' escapement wheel 81in the opposite direction to gear .48 (already described), the

drive for .gear 77 being derived from gear 75 .on shaft 4 through idler:gear'z76 l( Figs. land 2 The unloading signal sent to relay 80 causespawl 82 to release escapement wheel 81, when the sheet of paper isejected onto plate 97. Immediately following this a loading signal is:sent to operate relay 7 and the next sheet of .paperis loaded.

The method of drive of shaft .49 which has been described enables .adefinite time in which the drive is operative .to'be established.Further the shock of stopping the parts moving under .the action of oneclutch is taken by the opposite clutch which is driven backwards alittle and then returns to its .escapement again, thus acting as a shockabsorber and damper.

The construction .of all the relays used is similar, and may be seenfrom Fig. l where the construction of relay 98 is shown. The relayconsists of laminations 83 which are clamped :into a die-casting 99 andlocated by a V shaped portion 101 and .a clampingscrew100. The armature102 is returned as soon as the operating signal ceases by leaf spring105 which is controlled by stop screw 104.

While the principles of the invention have been described above inconnection with specific embodiments, and particular modificationsthereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is madeonly by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of theinvention.

Whatl claim is:

1. Printing telegraph apparatus comprising a tubular support about whicha sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printingcharacters in a line along a circumference of said tubular support, andautomatic means for effecting character spacing along said circumferencecomprising a plurality of rollers, spring means for urging said rollerstowards said tubular support to maintain them in contact with a sheet ofpaper on said tubular support, a friction clutch, gear means for drivingsaid rollers and arranged to be driven through said friction clutch,driving means for driving said friction clutch, and control means,associated with said gear means, for allowing said gear means to bedriven through said friction clutch upon printing of a character orreceipt of a space signal.

2. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising a second friction clutch means for driving said gear means inthe reverse direction through said second friction clutch, and controlmeans including a relay for preventing the driving of said gear meansthrough the second friction clutch except on receipt of a sheet-ejectionsignal by the relay.

3. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising means for mounting said tubular support in fixedposition on its axis.

4. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising furthermeans for effecting a line feed operation comprising a rack associatedwith said tubular support, a gear engaging said rack, a second frictionclutch, line-feed driving means for driving said gear through saidsecond friction clutch, a relay, and means under control of said relayfor preventing the driving of said gear through said second frictionclutch-except on receipt of a line feed signal by said relay.

5. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

-7 comprising a third friction clutch, further means for driving saidgear in a reverse direction to that in which it is driven by saidline-feed driving means, through said third further friction clutch, asecond relay and means under control of said second relay for preventingthe driving of said gear through said third friction clutch except onthe completion of printing on said sheet.

6. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1, furthercomprising a tubular member having a longitudinal slot extending along asubstantial portion thereof, the said tubular member being so positionedas to enclose a substantial portion of said tubular support, and meansfor feeding a sheet of paper onto said tubular support through thelongitudinal slot in said tubular member.

7. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which saidmeans for feeding a sheet of paper onto the tubular support comprises apaper feed member having longitudinal slots in the lower side thereofand being otherwise air-tight, means for lifting a sheet of paper intocontact with the lower side of said paper feed member, means fordecreasing the air pressure inside said paper feed member and therebycausing said paper fee'd member to grip the sheet of paper, and meansfor moving said paper feed member such that one edge of the sheet ofpaper is passed through the longitudinal slot in said tubular member.

8. Printing telegraph apparatus comprising a tubular support about whicha sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printingcharacters in a line along a circumference of said tubular support,automatic means for effecting character spacing along said circumferenceand means for elfecting a line feed operation along the axis of thetubular support comprising a rack associated with said tubular support,a gear engaging said rack, a friction clutch, line-feed driving'meansfor driving said gear through said frictionclutch, a relay, and meansunder control of said relay for preventing the driving of said gearthrough said friction clutch except on receipt 'of a line-feed signal bysaid relay.

9. Printing telegraph apparatus comprising a tubular support about whicha sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printingcharacters in a line along a circumference of said tubular support, atubular member having a longitudinal slot extending along a substantialportion thereof, said tubular member being so positioned as to enclose asubstantial portion of said tubular support, means for feeding a sheetof paper onto said tubular support through the longitudinal slot in saidtubular member, means for gripping the said sheet of paper fed onto saidtubular support, first means for operating the said gripping means torotate the said sheet of paper around the said tubular support onerevolution for each line printed, and second means for operating thesaid gripping means to rotate the said sheet of paper in a reversedirection to remove it from said tubular support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS118,491 Sholes Aug. 29, 1871 765,457- Buckingham et al. July 19, 19042,135,541 Stuart et a1. Nov. 8, 1938

